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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-*Sheet 1. y 1. FONTAINE.

LET-OPP MEGHANISM FOR LOOMS. No. 484,002. Patented 001;. 11, 1892.A

sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.)

FONTAINE;- y LET-OPF MBGHAN'ISM POR LQOMS.

No. 484,002.' Patented Oct.. l1, 1892.

p v UNITED l' STATES PATENT QFFICE.-

ISAAC FONTAINE, or oHIooPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIeNoR or ONE-HALF TOFRANK X. DEROIN, OF SAME PLACE.

LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,002, dated October11, 1892. Application filed December 30, 1891. Serial No. 4161538. (Nomodel.)

.To alZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,IsAAo FONTAINE, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada,residing in Chicopee, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have made new and useful Improvements in Let-OffMechanism for Looms, of which the following is a specification,reference Vbeing had to the accompanying drawings and letters and guresof reference marked thereon.

In the said drawings, in which like letters and figures of referenceindicate like parts, Figure l is a side elevation of a loom-frame havingmy device arranged in operative position thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof a portion of the loom-frame having my device applied thereto. Fig. 3is an elevation of the portion ofthe device at the right of line 2 ofFig. 1, the loom-frame being shown in section and the Warp-beam beingomitted; and Fig. 4 is a side view of a modified form of frictionstrap.p

In detail, a indicates the loom-frame; l), laysword; c, the Warp-beam;d, the shaft upon which the warp-beam is mounted; e, flanges mountedthereon; f, the warp; g, a gear mounted upon the Warp-beam; h, a pinionmeshing therewith; 2', a shaft upon which pinion h is mounted; j, a gearmounted upon shaft fi; lo, a shaft mounted adjacent to the shaft o'; Z,a pinion mounted on shaft k and Ineshing with gear j; m, a dog` or pawl;n, a ratchet-wheel mounted on shaft 7c and having teeth with which thenose of the dog m engages; 0, a flanged friction-pulley; p, afriction-strap mounted thereon; r, a bolt passing through the dependingends of the frictionstrap; s, a cam pivotally mounted in the end of thebolt r; t, a hand-lever connected With the cam s; u, ahorizontally-arranged rod connected at one end With one of the dependingarms of the friction-strap and mounted in a suitable support at itsopposite end; o, a spiral spring mounted upon the rod u; w, support forbearings; a coiled spring; y, an arm connected therewith, and z a rollermounted upon one end of said arm.

3 indicates bearings mounted on support w.

4 indicates a rotatable shaft mounted in the bearings 3.

5 indicates an arm adj ustably mounted on the end of shaft 4;6,arightangled lever pivotally mounted at oneuend on the arm 5 and atthel opposite end arranged to bear against the spring fv.

'7 indicates a spring arranged to draw the arm 5 in one direction.

8 indicates an arm mounted upon the laysword b, and 9 indicates aconnecting-rod eX- tending from one end of the depending arms of thefriction-strap to arm 8.. A l

The object of my invention is to provide a device by the employment ofwhich the tensionof the Warp maybe nicely and easilyadj usted, and bywhich the let-off may be controlled with accuracy, and whereby thetension upon the Warp-beam may be entirelyand conveniently released.

My object is, further, to overcome the objections heretofore existingand to provide an accurately-operating device whereby a uniform tensionmay be maintained and a superior product thereby procured from the loom,and I accomplish these objects by the construction herein shown.

The construction and operation are as follows: a indicates an ordinaryloom-frame provided With a Warp-beam, shuttle-race, and lay arm or swordof the usual construction. Upon the warp-beam c is mounted a gear g, andmounted in a suitable support is a rotatable shaft c', having mountedthereon at one end a pinion h, the teeth of which mesh With the teethupon the gear g and cause the shaft t' to rotate. Near the opposite endof the shaft il and mounted thereon is a gear j, the teeth of which meshWi th the teeth of a pinion Z, the latter being mounted upon a shaft 7c,having suitable bearings in the frame. On the shaft k is also mounted aratchet-Wheel n, having ratchet-teeth upon its periphery, and upon theend of shaft z' is pivotallymounted a'dog m, the nose of which engagesthe teethgof the ratchet-Wheel n and prevents return movement thereof.Upon the same shaft lc is mounted a flanged or grooved pulley o, onwhich is arranged a friction-collar p, which passes around the greaterpart of the pulley and the ends of which collar project downwardly, asshown in Fig. l.

Between the inner surface of the frictionstrap p and the base of thegroove in the periphery of the pulley o is a leather strap 10, which,being removable, may be replaced when worn and which will give a betterfriction-surface than the faces of the metal, if in contact. A bolt fris arranged to pass through the two depending arms of the friction-strapp, one end of which bolt is provided with a nut for the purpose ofadjustment and on the opposite end of which is pivotally mounted a cams, provided with an arm t, preferably made integral with the cam. As thetendency of the friction-collar p is to spring open when released, amovement of the cam-lever t upwardly upon its pivot'will release thepressure upon the depending armsand allow them to separate, thusinstantly releasing the tens1on. Y

Suitably secured to the frame is a lsupport fw, provided with bearing 3,within which is arranged a shaft 4, to one end of which is secured aspiral spring, and the opposite end is provided with an arm 5, thefunctionA of which is hereinafter pointed out.

Secured to the spring @c is an arm y, which projects upwardly at anangle, and the free end of the same is provided with anantifriction-roll z', which at all times bears against the warp woundupon the warp-beam.

Mounted upon the side of the frame in a suitable support is a rod u, oneend of which is pivotally attached to the depending arm p of thefriction-strap p, and arranged upon said rod is a spiral spring o. Thedepending arm or lever 5, secured to the shaft 4, is pivotally connectedat its free end with a rightangle arm 6, through the depending arm ofwhich the rod u passes, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, andvagainstwhich the spiral spring fu bears at one end, the opposite end of thesaid'spiral spring c abutting against the collar l2.

Secured to the lay-sword b is a projecting part 8, and pivotallyconnected therewith is the rod 9, whose opposite end passes through thedepending arm p of the friction-strap p, anda nut 13 is mounted on theend of the rod, so that the motion of the lay-sword Will operate to movethe friction-strap on the grooved pulley in one direction, while the dogm prevents return movement of the ratchetwheel n, and as the rod 9 isfree to move through the depending arm p toward the cam-lever tit willnot operate the mechanism in any manner by such return movement.

It will be perceived from the foregoing description, in connection withthe drawings, that when the lay moves back the rod 9, connectedtherewith, is also moved back, and the nut on the right-hand end of saidrod, as shown in Fig. l, will be movedtherewith from the depending armp. Atthis time the takeup mechanism willoperate to wind up the cloth onthe cloth-beam, and so doing will draw off the warp from the warp-beam,causing the latter to rotate and imparting rotation through theintermediate mechanism to the shaft k until such rotation is arrested byl the rod u. Following this action the lay beats up, and in so doing thedepending arm p is engaged by the nut 13, and since the ratchetwheel isengaged by the pawl to prevent the rotation of the shaft 7a thefriction-wheel slips within the friction-strap as long as forward actionof the lay continues. This series of actions is repeated as long as theloom keeps up its work. The extent of revolution is, however, limited bythe movement of the rod u, the movement of which rod varies according tothe resilient pressure of the spring s, determined by the location ofthe roller z with reference to the center of the warp-beam, and as lesstension or strain upon the warp is required to unwind 'itl from thewarpbeam when a considerable quantity is wound thereon and aconsiderable strain or tension is required to unwind it when but a smallquantity is wound upon the Warpbeam, unless some means were provided.for compensating for such variable strain the material being woven wouldbe very uneven,

a portion having the warp drawn taut and a portion having the warp butloosely interwoven. It will now be seen that if the arm y, carrying theroller z, which bears upon the warp which is wound upon the warp-beam,benear the center of the axis of revolution of the beam greater freedom ofreturn movement of the shaft 7c, with parts attached, will be permitted,because of the fact that the arm or lever 'y will occupy a position morenearly perpendicular, and will thus bear with less force and allowgreater freedom of revolution of the shaft 4, and therefore through themedium of the arm 5 and right-angle arm 6 will permit greater freedom ofmovement of the rod u, thus permitting the depending end of thefriction-strap, to which it is attached, to move a greater distance, andwith it the friction-pulley upon which the strap is mounted, and hencethe pinions and gears in the chain, while if there be a large amount ofwarp Wound upon the beam, thus causing the roller mounted upon the endof the arm y to be removed a greater distance from the aXis of thewarp-beam, then greater strain will be applied to theintermediate partsand less revolution of the shaft 4 be allowed, and consequently lessmovement of the mechanism through which connection is made. It willreadily be seen that this restraining-pressure will be varied, dependingupon the position, as before stated, of the arm y, carrying nthe rollere, with reference to the axis of revolution of the Warp, and thematerial being Woven will all be of like quality with reference totension.

The arm 5 is mounted upon the endof the shaft 4 by the employment of aset-screw, as shown in the drawings, and the arm at the point ofconnection with the shaft is slotted for the purpose of enabling me tovary the throw of the arm by lengthening or shortening it with referenceto the shaft 4. The

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springs and v serve to cushion the operation of the parts, and byvarying the position of the collar 12 upon the roduthe degree ofpressure exerted by the spring o may be varied.

If the loom be provided with the usual construction of stop-motion forthe purpose of greater security and to prevent danger of feed in casethe stop-motion should fail to operate successfully, I mount upon theusual rock-shaft 16, which is employed in stop-motions of the ordinaryform, a lever 17, and the same being .fixed upon said shaft in properposition will be moved when the shaft is rocked by the usual mechanismwhen there is no thread in the shuttle, and from the end of the lever 17I extend a chain or cord 15 to the dog or pawl m, and when, therefore,the rock-shaft moves to the left in the usual :manner when operating tostop the loom, and because of the want of thread in the shuttle, the dogfm, will be carried away from engagement with the ratchet-teeth, andthereby al1 further feed will be avoided, even though the loom shouldcontinue in motion.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings is illustrated a friction-strap composed oftwo parts hinged together, which may be substituted for a strap of asingle piece.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a loom, of a warpbeam provided with a gear g, ashaft i, having a pinion h meshing with the gear g, a gear j, mounted onthe shaft t', a shaft k, a pinion Zon the shaft lo, meshing with thegear j, a friction-pulley o on the shaft k, a frictionstrap p on thefriction-pulley, formed with depending arms,.a shaft 4, connectedthrough intermediate mechanism with one of the depending arms of thefriction-strap, an arm y, arranged to bear with its free end against thewarps on the beam and connected at its opposite end with the shaft 4,the lay-sword, and a connecting-rod between the lay-sword and the arm ofthe friction-strap, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in a loom, of a Warpbeam, a friction pulley, afriction strap mounted thereon, means to communicate motion from thewarp-beam tothe shaft upon which the friction-pulley is mounted, aratchet-wheel mounted on the shaft with the friction-pulley, a dogarranged to prevent return movement of the ratchet-Wheel and shaft uponwhich the same is mounted, means to communicate motion from thelay-sword to the friction-strap and move the same upon friction-pulleywhile the same is restrained from rotation by the dog, and an armarranged with one end provided with a roll to bear against the Warp andthe opposite end operating through intermediate mechanism to vlimit therotation of the shaft upon which the friction-pulley is mounted withreference to the relative position of the free end of said arm and theaxis of the warp-beam, substantiaily as shown.

8. The combination of a 100m-frame, a warp-beam mounted therein, alay-sword, a gear mounted upon the warp-beam, a shaft 2', provided witha pinion h and a gear j,a shaft 7s, provided with a pinion Z, africtionpulley and a ratchet-Wheel, a dog m, pivotally mounted on theend of shaft t' and arranged with its nose to engage the teeth on theratchet-wheel, a shaft 4, provided with an arm 5, a rod u, aconnecting-arm extending from arm 5 to the rod u, a friction-strapmounted upon the friction-pulley and provided with depending arms, onearm of which is pivotally connected with the rod u, a bolt r, passingthrough the arms of the frictionstrap and pivotally connected at one endwith a cam s, a rod 9, connected at one end with thelay-sword and at itsopposite end with one of the depending arms of the frictionstrap, and anarm y, provided at its free end with a friction-pulley ,e to bearagainst the warp and connected at its opposite end with the shaft 4, ailarranged `and operating substantially as and for the purposes stated.

4. The combination of a loom-frame provided with a lay-sword and awarp-beam, a shaft fi, arranged to be rotated by the rotation of theWarp-beam, a shaft lc, arranged to be rotated by the rotation of theshaft c', a friction-pulley on the shaftl k, provided'with afriction-strap, aratchet-wheel on the shaft k, arranged to preventmotion of the frictionpulley in one direction, an arm y, provided at itsfree end with a shaft 4, an arm 5, connected with shaft 4, a rod u,connected at one end with the friction-strap and provided with asuitable support at its opposite end,an arm` 6, pivotally connected witharm 5 at one end and arranged to engage the rod u at its opposite end,and a rod 9, connected at one end with the lay-sword and at its oppositeend with the friction-strap to move the same in one di` rection only,all in combination substantially as and for the purposes stated.

ISAAC FONTAINE.

lVitnesses ALLEN WEBSTER, FRANK X. DERoIN.

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